Cross Breeds

How can we be sure the whip doesn't hurt race horses just a little bit?

It's obvious the whip doesn't hurt the racehorses a lot, otherwise they'd react accordingly, and would have wounds. But how can we be sure it doesn't hurt at all?

Public Comments

1. I think the real question is, if they don't react, why does it matter?
2. You want a very simple answer? I'll give it to you. Yes it hurts the horse just a little bit. If it didn't hurt them then they wouldn't run faster. Can we just yell, "Faster, Faster!!" and expect them to run faster? They might speed up a bit. However, a whip will cause the horse to react to the pain by running faster...maybe to try and get away from the pain being caused from its behind. No worries, it wont kill the horse.
3. I remember hearing once on a tv show when a person was going to pet a lion (I know, I know, why would you risk your hand, body, life, etc to pet a lion) and the person was told to put force behind the motion because otherwise the lion wouldn't really feel it. So how thick is a horses skin, I think is the main question you should be asking, in relation to the strike of a whip. It might feel like someone slapping you with their bare hand on your bare shoulder, or it might feel like someone slapping you with their bare hand but you're wearing a thick sweatshirt. Or you could try to find a credible animal psychic and ask Rachel or Zenyatta yourself! lol!! I know I would!
4. I agree with Cloudship. Their skins are much thicker than ours. They feel it but it does them no harm. If you look ouside the racing world and at horses in general, physical force is sometimes needed to show the horse who is boss. You have to be the horse herd leader, be respected by the horse or you will be hurt. The use of a stud chain on a horses nose or a crack of the whip on the rump can stop bad behavior. The horse is smart, they learn. It's not something you have to do over and over in a cruel way. If a horse is dangerous, it will have to be put down and that's a shame and the human's fault in not teaching respect. Who knows how that horse feels the whip during the race with all that adrenaline flowing, their internal drive to win? I'd bet money it's not the same as if they were whipped while not racing. I have no way to prove this of course. Have any of you ever enjoyed a swat on the butt as opposed to spanking for punishment? Our bodies react differently to a smack, maybe theirs does too.
5. From what I understand, it's the sound of the whip rather than the feel of the whip that induces the horse to run faster. That said, it probably does sting a bit. But given that racehorses generally show no fear at the sight of the whip, it apparently does not bother them.